1. Field of Endeavor
The present application relates to computed tomography (CT) scanning and more particularly to an adaptive CT scanning system.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,182,764 and 5,367,552 for automatic concealed object detection system having a pre-scan stage include the following state of technology information:    “Screening luggage for concealed items is of vital importance. Such monitoring is necessary to avoid smuggling of drugs and to detect explosives planted in luggage by terrorists. Present techniques for screening luggage include manual inspection. Manual inspection is a time consuming and therefore expensive operation. Moreover, manual inspection is not particularly effective unless suspicious items such as transistor radios are routinely disassembled and checked for hidden items.”    “Thermal Neutron Activation (TNA) systems have been employed in the prior art to detect explosives in luggage. This technique relies upon the detection of the nitrogen associated with explosives. While the technique has enjoyed some success, there are a number of problems associated with it. Namely, the technique is slow because many innocuous items cause false alarms which must be resolved with additional measures.”    “Another common baggage inspection device is the X-ray line scanner (“concourse scanner”) used in practically all public airports. Such systems are deficient in several respects. First, they are merely imaging devices without the capability of automatically identifying target materials like explosives. They also form a cluttered image in which items in a container are projected together and overlaid on each other. These systems require an operator to study and interpret the projection images. Operator fatigue and distraction augment the imperfect nature of the projection method itself”
U.S. Pat. No. 7,330,533 issued Feb. 12, 2008 to Stephen E. Sampayan for a compact x-ray source and panel includes the following state of technology information:    “One example of such an x-ray imaging system using electron beam scanning is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,745. Other methods may use mechanical means to move the x-ray source relative to a detector and object so as to also generate x-rays from spatially-differentiated locations. In any case, such methods are often used, for example, in CT scans of luggage, cargo containers and the like for security and commercial inspection purposes, as well as for use in medical diagnostic applications.”    “The problem, however, with the scanning technique utilized in current broad-beam x-ray sources is the large and bulky size typically associated with such systems due to the geometry of the scanning arrangement. Scanning over a large area x-ray conversion target requires that the electron beam undergo a drill (i.e. separation distance between cathode and anode) comparable to the longest dimension of the area to be scanned in order to reach the outer extremities of the target. Due to this geometric limitation, the dimensions of the vacuum envelope of the x-ray source (spanning between the hot filament to target) consumes a significant portion of the overall system size, making the system large, cumbersome, and usually very expensive. Because designers cannot easily anticipate the wide variety of objects a user would seek to image, and the expense of such large-scale/dimensioned systems is so significant, a “on size fits all” mentality is incorporated into the design and acquisition of very large aperture x-ray imaging systems, with the net result being a narrowed use of the technology only by larger institutions.”    “What is needed therefore is a compact, scalable, and relatively inexpensive x-ray source that can be used in a broad range of settings and for imaging a wide variety of target subjects/shapes. Furthermore, what is needed is a compact x-ray source panel having a simple basic construction which is scalable and enables complex panel shapes to be realized for adaptably conforming to a subject to be imaged. Such an x-ray source and imaging system would be particularly useful, for example, in emergency medical response situations by targeting and imaging only specific areas, e.g. a patient's traumatized head, to provide rapid diagnosis of the injury and implement the appropriate emergency procedure.”